AN “ISOLATED” teenager has been sentenced for a series of offences where he stole from and attacked other youngsters.

The 14-year-old left his four young victims and their parents in fear following the six offences, which all took place in Brighton between March and April last year.

The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, admitted to robbing another boy of his cash, attempting to rob another boy’s money and stealing a £25 baseball cap from another youngster and assaulting him.

He also assaulted another boy after threatening to “knock him out” because he believed he was assisting police with an investigation into an offence.

Before he was sentenced at Worthing Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, magistrates asked him: “Who has been hurt by what you have done?”

The boy told the court: “All the people I have done stuff to and my mum and dad.”

He told the court that he is no longer hanging around with a group of other youngsters described by chairwoman of the magistrates Julia Aisbitt as a “gang.”

His mother told the court: “His behaviour is quite up and down and that comes out in aggression quite a lot.

“He has special needs and I think they need to be assessed further.

“He is really sociable but was really isolated.

“I think he is really confused.

“He struggles with how to deal with emotions.

“A therapist comes for an hour once a week in the evening.

“It is nice to have someone who is not emotionally involved to talk to him.”

The boy pleaded guilty to all of the offences on February 1.

He was also referred to the court by a youth offender panel for breaching his contract by not turning up to supervision sessions and meetings with the panel.

Youth workers told the court that he is a “vulnerable young man” who will now be given an opportunity to speak to a psychiatrist for his own emotional wellbeing.

He was handed a nine-month youth referral order which will include supervision and reparation sessions with youth workers in Brighton, aiming to get him to “give back to the community.”

The boy was also ordered to pay two of his victims £25 compensation each, which his mother had to pay.

He was told by magistrates that it is important for him to pay her back the money when he can.

Sentencing him, Ms Aisbitt said: “They were horrible offences.

“The victims and parents would have been very scared.

“They are worried about what may happen to their children on their way home.

“You also breached a referral order and we are allowing that one to continue.

“This is really your last chance with a referral order.

“You will be asked to sign a contract to make sure none of these offences happen again.

“Work well with the youth offending service and be guided by them.”

An application was made for a restraining order to stop the boy making contact with any of his victims.

Prosecutor Kirsten Sharp said his victims “might feel safer if they have the protection of the court.”

Magistrates decided that it was not necessary to make the order.